Scenes of Summer
by elfling14
Summary: A series of one-shots that string together the important stages of Sirius Black and Marlene McKinnon's relationship. Rated T for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Scenes of Summer**

**_Disclaimer- JKR, as always_**

* * *

_Eleven_

Marlene McKinnon was sitting on the pier on Potter Lake, her feet dangling in the water. She was enjoying a strawberry ice cream cone, which was melting in the heat and dripping down her arms.

"Oi, Marly! What're you up to?"

She turned her head to see her cousin James' best friend, Sirius Black, walking down the pier.

"Hi, Sirius!" she replied. "Just taking a break from Quidditch."

"You're going to need to wash up before you go back to Uncle Charlus," Sirius said. The girl looked down at her arms.

"That might be a good idea," she conceded. She popped the last bit of cone into her mouth. Marlene stood up and moved to walk back to shore, but Sirius blocked her.

With a maniacal gleam, Sirius reached out and shoved her in the water.

SPLASH!! Marlene was in the water, trying to come up for air, but, having been caught off-guard, she was mostly floundering around. Sirius was doubled over in laughter, trying to wipe tears from his eyes while still pointing at Marlene.

In between laughing fits, Sirius managed to say, "At least now you don't have to wash!"

Marlene managed to get over to the ladder and pulled herself onto the pier, her body language screaming Bloody Murder.

"I am SO getting you back for that!" she exclaimed between gritted teeth.

"But… I was only trying to help!" Sirius replied, looking a bit frightened.

With a yell of rage, Marlene ran towards Sirius, who then took off towards the Potter Manor.

* * *

A/N- This in Part One in a series of one-shots about my ideas on the evolution of the relationships between Sirius and Marlene. Meaning, unlike everything else I've written, this one is going to have chapters! *gasp* I know... hardcore, huh? I have an outline of each chapter, so I should be updating regularly. Enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

_Twelve_

* * *

Completely and utterly bored, Marlene was searching the grounds for her cousin. He wasn't on the Quidditch pitch, which surprised her- he'd been taking every spare moment to practice, as he was trying to make the team this year. She was about to go check the garden maze when she heard some shouting coming from the lake.

Marlene quickened her pace and came around the corner of Potter Manor. Looking toward the water, she spied James, Sirius, and Remus on the pier, each brandishing a sword. Sirius had on an eye-patch while James was sporting a red bandana on his head. Remus wore a tri-corn hat with a skull sewn onto the side.

"I'll make ye walk the plank, ye scurvy cur!" Sirius shouted.

"Arg! Ye'll ne'er take me alive!" James roared. They began to battle. The boys were a bit clumsy with the weapons- which was obvious to Marlene, who'd secretly taken up fencing with Muggles the past summer. Eager to join, she skipped down the dock.

"What's this, then?" she inquired jovially. The boys lowered the swords.

Remus answered in a matter-of-fact tone, "We got some Chocolate Frogs and Edward Teach was on one of the cards."

"And we've made the decision to become pirates!" James exclaimed, practically cutting off Remus. "Blackbeard's wicked!"

"Do you need a forth?" she offered. "I'm pretty handy with a blade."

Sirius scoffed. "Pshh! You're a girl, Marly! Piracy is a manly profession! That's why pirates get two types of booty!" With that, he pinched her butt. Marlene jumped and squeaked girlishly, making the boys laugh.

Using their amusement as a distraction, Marlene stole Remus' sword.

"Huzzah!" she cried. Before Sirius could even lift his weapon, Marlene deftly used her blade to knock his sword out of his hands. Sirius gasped in surprise, then Marlene rushed him, knocking him off the pier, sending him flying into the lake.

Giving a slack-jawed James and Remus a superior look, she dropped the sword and turned heel with a flourish. As she strutted back to the Manor, Marlene smirked as she heard the boys lifting an angry, sputtering Sirius out of the water.

* * *

_A/N- Ah! I feel terrible because I haven't updated in so long! Blame part on exams, part on my job, part on a trip to NY, and part on my forgetful nature! As always, it's JKR's world I'm invading._


	3. Chapter 3

A/N- James is throwing a lake party (which is like a pool party, but in a lake) over the summer. So there are a lot of people there- excluding Slytherins and Lily Evans (who RSVPed with a strong NO). Mermaids and Grindylows is the magical equivalent to Sharks and Minnows.

* * *

_Thirteen_

* * *

"One! Two! Three! Mermaids, swim to me!" Sirius called loudly. Chancing a look at Marlene, James found her looking back at him. The two exchanged a determined nod, then each took a deep breath, and surface-dived into the lake.

James swam as quickly as he could, but after three rounds of Mermaids and Grindylows, he was getting a little tired- not that he'd admit it, of course. James surfaced for a gulp of air, only to feel his head get swatted.

"Gotcha!" Peter exclaimed in triumph. James looked at his friend's huge grin and didn't begrudge him his victory. The boys then scanned the water for Marlene, easily the best swimmer. Frank Longbottom was the first to spot her.

"Over there!" He pointed to a red and tan streak that had just emerged on the opposite side of the lake. Marlene smoothed back her hair. She spotted James, now a Grindylow, and let out a, "Whoop!" People began to swim over and congratulate her on her third straight victory.

"How do you manage to swim the entire lake without surfacing to breathe, McKinnon?" Amos Diggory called as he moved towards her.

"Years of practice!" Marly returned in a knowing voice.

"She used to hold her breath to get what she wanted," James explained with a chuckle. "Aunt Imogene made her wait a long time." Marlene sportingly punched James in the arm.

"I name Amos as the next Grindylow!" Marlene shouted. All the kids moved back towards the edge of the boundary lines, while Amos went to take his place in the center.

Marlene was at her favorite starting spot, near the edge, next to the dock. She looked down the line of people, picking out the faces of her best friends- James, Remus… But she didn't see Sirius. She shrugged it off- he was probably sulking after being forced to be the Grindylow.

"Everyone ready?" Amos shouted. "One! Two! Three! Mermaids, swim to me!" She was about to kick off when her feet were pulled out from under her! Marlene was being pulled backwards!

After a few seconds, the hands let go and Marlene surfaced, gulping down air and turning to see who had attacked her.

"Hey," Sirius whispered. He was only inches from her face.

"What's going on?" she replied, matching his tone. She glanced around, and realized they were under the dock, outside of the boundary lines.

Sirius pulled her into him and she put her arms around his neck, almost as a reflex.

"I think," he started, "that you should sit this one out. Let someone else win."

"Why?" Marlene asked. She was starting to feel butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. Sirius was so close- she was staring into his chocolate eyes, noticing the gold flecks in them for the first time.

"Well, it's only fair. You've won a lot. Besides, I, uh, I wanted to tell you something." It seemed to Marlene that she wasn't the only nervous party in the murky water beneath the pier.

Trying to concentrate on anything but the drops of water trickling down his face from his wet hair, she managed to say, "What's that?"

A look of indecision crossed his face briefly, but disappeared as quickly as it came, so that Marlene thought she'd imagined it. Then Sirius kissed her.

It was only a peck, but it was a kiss nonetheless. Marlene turned as red as her swimsuit and Sirius dunked himself and swam away, embarrassed.

A/N- Oh, awkward puppy love!


	4. Chapter 4

_Fourteen_

_

* * *

_

"Marlene?" Sirius called softly as he landed his broom. It was getting dark, and he'd noticed her on a remote part of the Potter estate, where they both spent their summers. She was leaning against a giant willow, her legs pulled up to her chest with her head buried in her knees. At the sound of Sirius' voice, Marlene lifted her face, which showed evidence of crying.

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked, shocked to see Marlene, an emotional rock, weeping. She weakly gestured to her side, broke into a fresh sob, and returned her head to knees to hide her tears.

Sirius walked around to see what Marlene had pointed at, and let out a low gasp at the sight of a tiny, brown owl laid out on a small towel. It was Nymphette, one of the McKinnon's elf owls. Sirius knew that the McKinnon's bred owls, but Marlene had a special bond with Nymphette. Marlene had been eight when the bird hatched, and was the first thing that Nymphette ever saw.

Sirius let go of his broom, dropped to the ground, and pulled Marlene into him. She cuddled under his arm and turned to cry into his shoulder.

After a while, Marlene quieted and Sirius asked, "Do you know what happened to her?"

"No. I came outside and found her lying in the lilac shrub," she replied, her voice a little rough. "I know she was headed to me because there was a letter from Lily with her."

"Did you read it?" Sirius asked, to which Marlene shook her head. "It might make you feel better."

Sirius pulled out a yellow handkerchief and wiped her eyes. "You read your letter, and I'll go get a small box and a spade. We'll bury her here." He kissed the top of Marlene's head and got up. "I'll be right back."

Marlene gave him a watery smile as he flew away. Heaving a sigh, she pulled out her letter. Before reading it, she reached over, gently stroked Nymphette's feathers, and whispered, "Thank you."

* * *

_A/N: I know, I haven't updated in a long while. And yes, it's short. Sorry!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Fifteen**_  
_

_Tap tap tap!_ Marlene looked up from Quidditch Through the Ages to see an owl rapping on her window. She got off her bed and crossed the room, hoping that the long-awaited Hogwarts letter would be delivered. _Unlikely_, she thought, _as they normally come in the morning, and it's almost an hour to midnight_.

The young witch relieved the owl of its burden and the bird soared off into the night. Marlene did not even need to look at the envelope to see that it wasn't her Hogwarts letter. She uncurled the small scroll.

_Marly, Join me for a moonlit swim? –Sirius_

She looked out her window just in time to see Sirius dive into the lake behind the Potter mansion. Smiling to herself, Marlene closed her curtains and went to find her new swim suit.

* * *

Sirius' head emerged from the water. He pushed his now-wet hair out of his face and rubbed excess lake out of his eyes. When he'd sent an owl to Marlene, her curtains were closed; now, he noticed as he looked towards the house, they weren't.

_Well, I'll wait around for a bit_, Sirius decided. _If she doesn't come in ten minutes, I'll go back in. Maybe plan a prank for me and James to pull on her sometime tomorrow_.

With a surprisingly graceful surface dive, he went back underwater, swimming among the tall reeds that looked eerie in the moonlight. Coming back up for air, he noticed someone sneaking away from the house. Lifting his eyebrows with a mischievous grin, he swam back over to the dock, but didn't get out of the water.

Marlene walked out to where Sirius was on the dock. His arms were crossed on the wood, holding his somewhat muscular upper body out of the water with no effort. Thinking that he was the picture of the Muggle's idea of a merman, she took in his admiring stare as she dropped her towel on the dock, very glad that Lily talked her into buying the teal bikini. Marlene then went to Sirius and dropped to sit on the edge, dangling her long legs in the water.

"I see you got my owl, then?" Sirius said, making it more of a statement than a question.

"Nope," Marlene replied cheerfully. "I regularly go for swims at this hour. I even invested in moon screen." Sirius chortled, knowing that she was referring to the time he and James convinced Peter that he would get "moon burn" if he went swimming at night.

"Next time, I'll be sure to lather your back… So, are you coming in or not?" Sirius demanded, pushing back off the dock. Marlene slid off the dock, entering the water almost silently. Sirius grabbed her arm and pulled her into him. He went in to kiss her and she wrapped her legs around his waist for support.

She felt his hands playing along her back when, all of a sudden, he tugged at the bow of her halter. Marlene broke the kiss and pushed away from him.

_"Sirius!"_ She exclaimed in a heated whisper. "What on earth do you think you're doing?" She struggled to both keep the top from revealing her breasts and trying to tie it with one hand. Marlene turned her back to Sirius and began using both hands to retie her suit.

Sirius idled over and grabbed the knot. Marlene swatted his hands away.

"Stop that! Go away!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he said, although if she'd seen his face, she would not have believed him. "Let me fix it and I'll leave you alone." Marlene huffed out a "Fine!" and crossed her arms, causing her to bob under the water and then splash about trying to resurface.

That was exactly what Sirius needed! He quickly undid the clasp around her back, whipped away the swimsuit top, and went underwater, causing Marlene to gasp in indignation. The girl held back a shriek, lest she rouse the Potters- or worse, James- and looked around to make sure no one could see her.

"Sirius!" she called out in a panicked whisper. "_Sirius!_ Where are you? Give me back my top!"

He surfaced a way's away. "Not a chance! Come and get it!"

"Sirius! _Please!_"

He waved it above his head like a flag. "You want it?" Determined to wipe the grin off his face, Marlene began swimming towards him. She expected him to move, but he remained where he was, treading water.

With a gulp of air, Marlene submerged, deciding to give Sirius a taste of his own medicine. She opened her eyes in the clear water as she neared him, ready to steal _his_ swim trunks in retaliation. In her approach, instead of seeing his shorts, she was greeting with a face-full of _the_ Sirius Black, proudly displayed in the moonlight.

She gasped underwater and resurfaced, sputtering out, "You… naked… swim suit… give back!"

Still grinning from ear to ear, he inquired in a jovial yet suggestive tone, "Like what you see, McKinnon?"

Letting out a disgruntled, "Ugh!" Marlene snatched her top away from him and swam back to the dock. She clambered her way out of the pull, grabbed her towel, and angrily jerked it around her, even as Sirius pulled himself out of the water. Marlene was stomping down the dock but Sirius caught up with her, spun her around, and pulled her tight against his chest to give her a hard, brief kiss.

He then moved his head to whisper in her ear, "Be quiet going in. You wouldn't want James to see you like that." Kissing her again, he let her go with a flirty wink and dove head-first back into the water.

Once again, Marlene began huffing her way back to the manor.

"Hey, Marly?" She stopped at his loud whisper and replied, "What!" in an exasperated tone.

"We'll have to do this again sometime!" Her response was to bend over, pick up a rock, and throw it in his general direction. She heard the _plunk!_ as it hit the water and let out another "Ugh!" when she heard Sirius call out, "Missed!"

* * *

A/N- I have no excuse for going so long without updating; however, I hope's worth the wait!


	6. Chapter 6

_**Sixteen**_

* * *

"Good job, genius," James said sarcastically to Sirius as a visibly-upset Marlene ran out of the room.

"I'm not entirely sure what I did wrong here…" Sirius admitted apprehensively, still fingering his Hogwarts letter. James dropped his own letter on the table and pushed his glasses up his nose with one hand and ruffled his hair with the other.

"Let's exam this," James started with his characteristic air of sarcastic maturity. "We got our letters. You hailed her as Quidditch captain. She ran away in tears. …have you figured it out yet?" Sirius gave him a questioning look.

"Foot in mouth?"

"You think? Go apologize."

"W-w-what?" Sirius exclaimed. "Why? How was I supposed to know she wouldn't get captain? I thought she'd get it!"

"You made her cry, Padfoot," James replied. "And I'd rather not spend our last two weeks with a surly, sulky Marlene. Go square things."

"Alright, alright," he grumbled. "I'm off. Any suggestions on where to look?"

"Try the labyrinth. She normally goes left."

* * *

Marlene was in the center of the labyrinth sulking on a stone bench when Sirius found her.

"Go away," she muttered as he plopped down on the bench next to her. Rather than leaving, he reached out, put his fingers under her chin, and turned her face towards his. Sirius was encouraged when she didn't turn away. He tucked some stray strands of hair behind her ears and put his forehead against hers.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I really thought that you'd get captain." Marlene moved her head so it was face-down on Sirius' shoulder, and he wrapped an arm around her.

"This means that Bolton got captain," she said, her voice scratchy, as if she were working to hold back tears. "He hates me. He'll never let me play."

"That's what you're worried about, kitten?" Sirius asked, pulling her away from him to look her in the eye. Marlene was surprised to see genuine concern in his eyes. "Even if he decided to hold trials for every position, you're one of the best flyers in the school. He may not like you, but there is no way he can stop you from playing."

"You _-hic!-_ really think so?" Marlene asked, wiping away one rebellious tear that had gotten loose.

Sirius nodded, and then broke into a grin that meant trouble. "And if he even tries to get you off the team, James and I will take care of him." Marlene tried to grin, but two more tears started running down her cheeks.

Looking over at the nearest hedge, Sirius reached out and plucked one of the pink flowers off the bush and put it in Marlene's chestnut hair. She laughed as she wiped her face again. Sirius took her hands and stood up, then tugged on her arms to make her follow suit.

"We are _more_ than capable of, uh, _convincing_ Bolton to keep you around," he continued, raising his voice. Still holding on to Marlene, he began spinning them in a circle. As he talked, his voice grew louder and they were turning faster and faster. Marlene started laughing as her hair started whipping around.

"We'll make it so brooms follow him around and beat him on the head! Whenever he talks, gerbils will fall out of his mouth. Bats will nest in his drawers and toads will eat his homework!"

Still laughing as the world was flying around her, Marlene shouted out, "You're going to have detention until Christmas!"

"I'll Charm his hair purple with bright blue polka dots! It'll be wicked!" Sirius yelled wildly.

He stopped them in mid-whirl. Marlene stumbled into him, and Sirius grabbed her around the waist to keep her from falling. Breathing heavily, she was looking up into his eyes, which were gleaming impishly as he smiled down at her. They stood like that- as if waiting for the world to stop spinning- until they both caught their breath.

Sirius then gave her a tight squeeze and kissed her on the forehead.

"You keep chasing quaffles and leave Bolton to me, Marly," he said matter-of-factly. "And I'll make sure that you have your own personal cheering section during the first match!"

"Deal!" Marlene said gleefully. Sirius bent down to pick up the flower that had fallen out of their hair while they were spinning. He handed it to her, and she accepted it with a, "Thank you" as she tucked it back behind her ear.

Marlene went to hold Sirius' hand as they began walking out of the labyrinth.

"Ew, gross!" Sirius said in a tone that was obviously joking. Marlene punched him in the arm.

"Ow!" he cried out, not expecting the blow.

"That's what you get for being a prick," she stated with a smile, and took hold of his hand again.

"So, hypothetically, what trick would you like us to pull on good old Bolton first?" Sirius asked, gripping Marlene's hand a little tighter as he lead her out of the labyrinth of hedges.


End file.
